Reducing-valve.



A. J. I l. F. FAUSEK.

REDUCING VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.2. 1914.

Patmed Jan. 30, 191?.

UTE @FXR ARTHUR J. FAUSEK AND IRWING F. FAU-SEK, OIF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI REDUGINGi-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3d, 19317..

Application filed December 2, 1914. Serial No. 875,088.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, ARTHUR J. FAUSEK and IRWING F. F AUsEK, citizens of the United States of America, residents of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reducing-Valves, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

@ur invention relates to improvements in reducing valves, one of the objects being to provide a simple, eiiicient and inexpensive means for regulating the ow of fluid under pressure.

A more specific object is to produce a valve of this kind having a diaphragm through the medium of which the flow of fluid is regulated, in combination with means for choking or shutting 0E the fluid supply when the diaphragm becomes ine'ective.

.The last mentioned means is in the nature of a safety device for preventing the escape of iuid under a high degree of pressure when the diaphragm is accidentally ruptured or otherwise rendered ineective.

Our valve preferably includes a closure member which may be adjusted to prevent leakage when a portion of the closure becomes worn or mutilated, the object being to avoid the necessity of renewing or refinishing the closure member. With this object in view the closure member is preferably so constructed that it includes a plurality of closures any one of which is adapted to cooperate with the closure seat.

The invention also includes certain speciic details of construction, and a specific combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter described.

Figure l is a vertical section of our reducing valve. Fig. Il' is a section taken approximately on line H--IL Fig. I, and includes the high pressure gage and the low pressure gage in elevation.

A designates a casing having a diaphragm chamber 1, a valve chamber 2, and a partition 3 between said chambers. A diaphragm cover 4 is screwed onto an annular flange 5 and an adjustable cap 6 is screwed into said cover 4.

7 designates a cap screwed onto the valve chamber 2, said cap preferably containing a spring pressed safety valve 8 adapted to open when the pressure in the valve chamber 2 rises to a predetermined degree. When the safety valve 8 opens in response to the h1gh pressure in the valve chamber 2, the fluid is permitted to escape through a port 9 1n the cap 7, through ports 10 in the safety valve and through a port 11 below the safety valve.

'H designates a high pressure conducting pipe screwed into a socket 12 and communieating with an inlet ,passageway 13 formed 1n the partition 3. A valve seat member 14, screwed into the partition 3, is provided with a passageway 13 which forms a continuation of the inlet passageway 13 leading to the valve chamber 2.

low pressure conducting pipe L, screwed into a socket 15, communicates with a discharge passageway 16 formed in the partition 3. rllhe discharge passageway communicates with the diaphragm chamber 1.

17 designates a diaphragm arranged inwithin the valve chamber 2 and partly within the diaphragm chamber 1, preferably comprises a stem 18 passing through and slidably litted in the partition 3, said stem having a threaded upper end which passes through the diaphragm 17.

19 designates a valve member secured to the stem 18 below the diaphragm 17, and 20 designates a Hange nut screwed onto the stem 18 above the diaphragm, the latter being clamped between the nut 20 and the valve member 19.

The closure member C also includes a head 21 at the lower end of the stem 18, said head being provided with guide lugs 22 which engage the wall of the valve chamber 2. A spring 23 arranged in the cap 6 lies between the nut 2() and a spring seat 24, the latter being provided with a convex face which engages the adjustable spring cap 6. It will be apparent that the spring cap 6 may be adjusted to vary the degree of pressure on the nut 20 secured to the closure member C.

The spring 6 tends to force the closure member C away from the valve seat member 14, and the fluid pressure in the diaif;

the pressure of spring member 14. Fluid passing from the high pressure pipe H flows through the inlet passageway 13, through the ported valve seat member 14-and into the valve chamber 2, from which it escapes to the diaphragm chamber by passing through a longitudinal passageway 25 and transverse passageways 26 formed in the stem 18. rllhe fluid escapes from the diaphragm chamber through the discharge passageway 16 which communicates with the low pressure pipe L. When the pressure in the diaphragm chamber rises to a predetermined degree, the diaphragm is deflected with the result of compressing the spring 23 and moving the closure member C into engagement with the flat bottom face of the ported valve seat member 14C.

This closes communication between the inletl and discharge passageways, and when the pressure drops to a predetermined degree the closure member C recedes in response to 23. rlhe pressure of the spring 23 is opposed by the fluid pressure on the diaphragm, and the closure member reciprocates in response to these counteracting pressures so that the. pressure in the low pressure pipe is maintained at the predetermined degree. 'lhe downward movements of the closure member C are preferably resisted by a light spring 28 which serves as a shock absorber, said spring being seated upon the bottom wall of the valve chamber 2. p

A high pressure gage 29 is attached to a tubular member 30 having a passageway 31 which communicates with the inlet passageway 13.

32 is a low pressure gage secured to the \low pressure pipe L.

When the automatic valve device is accidentally rendered ineective by reason of leakage through or around the diaphragm, the flow of iuid is automatically retarded or shut oli'. The safety device for. accomplishing this includes the valve member 19 carried by the stem 18 and adapted to engage a valve seat 19 on the partition 3. When the diaphragm becomes ineffective, the spring 23 forces the closure member C downwardly, forcing the valve member 19 onto its seat, and at the same time closing the transverse passageways 26 in the stem 18. These passageways 26 normally lie above the partition 3, but when the closure member C lis shifted to an abnormal position by the spring 23, said passageways are closed by the partition 3. The parts may be so constructed that a leakage of fluid will occur at the valve member 19 when said valve member is forcedonto its seat, or, if desired, they may be accurately finished to produce an absolutely tight closure which will positively prevent the escapeof iuid when the diaphragm is accidentally rendered ineffective. If the valve member 19 is ved `14, and these different portions are preferso constructed as toprevent leakage when it engages its seat, it will be necessary, in starting the flow of iuid through the valve, to relieve the pressure of thespring 23 by adjusting the spring cap 6. The valve member 19 will then open in response to the pressure of the counterbalance spring 28.

T he closure member C is very frequentlyy thrown into engagement with the ported valve seat member 14, and this closure member is also subjected to the action of the fluid under high pressure escaping from said member 14. rllierefore, the portion of the closure member which engages the valve seat member 14 soon becomes worn or mutilated. To avoid the necessity of renewing or refinishing the closure-member C, it is preferably constructed to constitute a series of closures, any one of which is adapted to close the valve seat member 14. The closure member C is secured to the diaphragm by the nut 20, and by loosening this nut the closure member may be turned to different positions wherein its annular. head 21 lies below the valve seat member 14. Manifestly, different portions of the closure member C are adaptto coperate with the valve seat member ably provided with inserts 40 formed of some material that is well adapted to withstand the shocks it receives in service.

In adjusting the valve member C the caps 6 and 7 are removed from the casing; the n ut 20 is loosened and the closure member is turned to the desired position. Thereafter the nut 20 is tightened to securely lock the closure member to the diaphragm.

An indicator for showing the position of the closure member C, is formed by a series of notches 41 in the bottom face of the head 21, and a single notch 42 in the circular wall of the housing.

We claim:-

1. A valve comprising a casing having inlet yand discharge passageways, and a valve device for controlling communication between said passageways, said valve device including a valve seat member and a closure member movable to present different portions thereof to the same face of said valve seat member.

2. A reducing valve comprising a casing having inlet and discharge passageways, and an automatic valve device including a closure member dierent portions of which are adapted to open and close communication between said passageways, said closure member being adjustable to different positions wherein only one of said portions is positioned to serve as a closure.

3. A valve comprising a casing having inlet and discharge passageways, and a valve device for closing communication between said passageways, said valve device including a valve seat member and a closure mem- .each of said closure elements being rai-eerie ber having a series of closures each of which is adapted to contact in common with the same face of said valve seat member.

4. A. reducing valve, comprising a casinghaving an inlet passageway and a discharge passageway, and an automatic valve device for opening and closing communication between said passageways, said valve device including a orted abutment member and a closure mem er, dili'erent portions of which are adapted to contact with said ported abutment member to closecommunication between said passageways, said closure member being adjustable to diferent ositions wherein only one of said portions 1s adapted to serve as a closure.

5. A reducing valve comprising a casing having inlet and discharge passageways, a diaphragm secured to said-casing, a closure member having a plurality of closure elements each of which is adapted to close communication between said passageways, said closure member being adjustable to substitute one of said closure elements for another, and means for securing said closure member to said diaphragm so as to maintain any one of saidclosure elements in'its operative position.

6. A reducing .valve comprising a casing having inlet and discharge passageways, a diaphragm securedv to said casing, a rotatable closure member having a plurality of closure elements arranged -about its axis, adapted to close communication between said passageways, said closure member being adjusty able to substitute one of said closure ele- V' ments for another, and

means for securing said closure member to said diaphragm so as lto maintain any one of said closure elements in its operative position.-

7. A valve comprising a casing havingin-l let and ,discharge passageways, a valve device for' closing communication between said passageways, said valve device includin a valve seat member and a, closure mem er having a series of closures each of which is adapted to contact in common with the same face of said valve seat member, and

passageway leading an indicator denotingthe position of said closures. t

8. A reducing valve comprising a casing having an inlet passageway and a discharge passageway, an automatic valve device for opening and closing communication between said passageways, said valve device including a ported abutment member and a closure member, different portions of which are adapted to contact with said ported abutment member to close communication between said passageways, said closure member being .adjustable to different positions wherein only one of said portions is adapted to serve as a closure, showing the position ber with respect to member.

9. A reducing valve having a partition,

of said closure memcomprising a casing partition, said' casing' also-having an inlet to said valve chamber and a dischargeA passageway leading from Y said diaphragm chamber, a diaphragm operable in response to fluid pressure in said diaphragm chamber, a valve device operable in response to movements of said diaphragm, said valve device including a closure memb er, in the valve chamber, adapted to close said inlet passageway, a stem passing through-said partition member and connectingl saidy closure member to said diaphragm, said stem beingA provided with a passage- Away which communicates with both of said chambers and which terminates at a' point adjacent to said partition, said valve'de-` vice being movable to an abnormalI position wherein the closure member occupies its open position and the passageway in saidstem is closed by said partition member, and a spring tending to move said valve device to said abnormal position.

ARTHUR J.' rA'UsEK.y inwnve r. rAUsnK.

In the presence of- E. K. CLARK, A. J. McCAUmnr.

and an indicator for said ported abutment a diaphragm chamber 'and a valve chamber at opposite sides of said 

